The Light Between the Trees was commissioned by Sylvia Aycock for the 20th anniversary concert of The Girl Choir of South Florida. The original commission called for a combined closer that would bring together all the choirs in the organization, spanning Grades 1 through 12, and allowing each group to showcase their abilities while also performing together. This was later arranged into the currently available 2-part version.

The text originated from a class exercise where the singers in Girl Choir were asked to describe themselves and their respective ensembles. These ideas were later transformed by alumna Lilly Rogers, who reimagined the text as a metaphor of trees in a forest –each one distinct, yet deeply connected to a larger whole. The Spanish version came last, with a beautiful poetic translation by Ana M. Benita. This piece can be performed in English or Spanish to fit the goals of any ensemble.

In essence, The Light Between the Trees reflects the most repeated word in the singers’ responses: fun. Musically, it is inspired by the rhythmic foundation of Dominican merengue, as well as other Caribbean rhythms that were woven into the popular music of the 90s and 00s in Colombia and Venezuela. The playful melodies, layered countermelodies, and rhythmic drive are a part of these styles and capture the vibrancy of the text and the joy of singing together.

The percussion part is scored exclusively for congas, featuring two main grooves: a caballo, which forms part of the foundation of merengue, and tumbao, which forms part of the foundation of salsa. The change in groove at the end of the piece reflects how modern popular artists have interpreted Caribbean dance styles. While only scored for congas, the addition of other percussion instruments typical of these styles, such as güiro and tambora, is appropriate—but only if the players have idiomatic knowledge of the featured styles. The piano part provides the chordal framework for pianists familiar with slow merengue styles and comfortable with improvisation.